1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring device for a patient for predicting a cardiovascular anomaly and a method for operating a monitoring device. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an implantable electrotherapy device, such as an implantable cardiac pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter, or an implantable defibrillator, which is operationally linked to a monitoring device according to the invention.
In particular, the present invention relates to a cardioverter/defibrillator, which is operationally linked to a monitoring device according to the invention for predicting a cardiac decompensation.
2. Description of the Background Art
Monitoring devices and methods for predicting a cardiovascular anomaly are fundamentally known.
For example, in the disclosure of American patent application US 2005/0124900 A1, a method and a device for detecting value changes of physiological parameters and predicting a cardiovascular anomaly based thereon are described. In this method, a value of a physiological parameter, such as a pressure or a heart rate variability, is measured. The measured value is then, on the one hand, averaged over a comparatively long period of time and, on the other hand, averaged over a comparatively short period of time. The value of the physiological parameter averaged over the comparatively long period of time represents a healthy state of the patient. Furthermore, the deviation of the short-term averaged value from the long-term averaged value is recorded and the values of the relative deviation are continuously integrated. An alarm signal indicative of a cardiovascular anomaly is either output if the relative deviation exceeds a first predetermined value or if the integrated relative deviation exceeds a second predetermined value.